RangeVision Introduces the New Spectrum 3D Scanner: Sub-$5K Professional Quality

For six years, RangeVision has been in the 3D scanner business, and they’ve been doing quite well, to say the least. The Moscow-area-based company leads Russia in the sale of professional 3D scanners, and with 40 partners across the world, their technology has a strong presence on a global level, as well. Their portable desktop RangeVision Smart Scanner made our list of top 3D scanners this year, and they’ve seen plenty of success with the rest of their range of scanners and equipment, too.

Now, RangeVision has introduced a new model to their 3D scanner collection. The Spectrum was unveiled last week at formnext 2016 in Frankfurt, as well as at 3D Print Expo in Moscow. Priced at under $5,000, it was designed to be the most affordable professional 3D scanner on the market, according to RangeVision. Based on the scanner’s first “test drive” at formnext, the company states, 3D models produced by the Spectrum have shown themselves to be as high quality as models created by scanners three to four times the cost.

The Spectrum’s adjustable fields of view make it possible to scan and digitize items from 1 cm to 3 m, with accuracy up to 0.04 mm and 3D resolution up to 0.072 mm. It’s technically three scanners in one, equipped with three scanning zones as well as three modes that cover a wide variety of applications:

• Scanning with markers allows the user to merge multiple scans in an automatic mode with speed and accuracy. The markers can be used in two ways: placed directly on the object or placed on the surface around the object, allowing even heavy immobile objects to be scanned. This mode is ideal for scanning large, smooth objects or those with multiple flat surfaces.
• Scanning with an automatic turntable allows for quick and easy scanning of small to medium objects weighing up to 5 kg. In this mode, it only takes two minutes to capture a full 360-degree model of an object.
• Free scan enables the user to easily render large items and objects with complex geometry, thanks to an automatic algorithm that generates meshes based on the geometry of the object. Manual modes are also available so that users can have full control over the creation of the 3D model.

The Spectrum is equipped with 3.1 megapixel industrial cameras for finely detailed, full-color scans. The scanner is priced at €4,120 (about $4,340), and comes with a full package including a tripod, an automatic turntable, a case for transportation and storage, and an unlimited license to RangeVision Scan Center software with free updates (three updates are guaranteed per year). Scan Center includes all necessary functions for turning a scan into a 3D model, including manual and automatic alignment, hole filling, color texture, data editing tools and model simplification. The software can export files to STL, OBJ and PLY.

While most professional 3D scanners are designed to scan objects of a specific size, the Spectrum stands out for its ability to scan a full spectrum of items (hence the name!) from small to large – for six to eight times less the cost, according to RangeVision. To get an idea of the scanner’s capabilities, you can check out a 3D model created with the Spectrum here, compared to the same model created with a jewelry scanner and a professional handheld 3D scanner. Discuss in the Spectrum forum at 3DPB.com.